Search - Various Artists :: Songs From the Cold Seas (Zazou, Hector)

Cold Winds

EriKa | Iceland | 09/12/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A sublime, atmospheric collection which includes superb recordings from Iceland's Björk, Finland's Värttinä, Japan's Tokiko Kato, and much more. Unfortunately I don't have the CD sleeve with me (I just packed all my belongings and moved to Iceland from the U.S.), so I cannot comment on specific song titles. However, having just listened to the varied and pristine beauty of the songs on this collection, I wanted to take a moment to recommend this CD to anyone who loves somewhat more unusual or peculiar music, world music, or music that sets a mood. The majority of the music here is relaxed and surrounds/envelops you in its waves. It is perfect for today, a windy, rainy day in Reykjavik, when it feels like Iceland is a raft adrift in the North Atlantic, ready to be engulfed by the ocean at any time. (Of course, this imagery is best accredited to José Saramago's book The Stone Raft, something I also highly recommend.) If you can find it, I would also recommend Hector Zazou's Sahara Blue-out of print.Very surreal, musical and verbal treatment of the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud. Hector Zazou's interpretation of Rimbaud with a variety of different artists lending their talents, including Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance and renowned composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto as well as French actor Gérard Dépardieu and Bel Canto's Anneli Drecker collaborating on what is probably the best part of this collection, "I'll Strangle You." This is an experimental sort of collection, and it is definitely not for everyone, and even for me (I like it), it is only for certain moods. It can be grating and sometimes feel very hollow and even boring. It is out of print and might be difficult to come by."

Icicles

Mr. A. Pomeroy | Wiltshire, England | 11/01/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's hard to categorise Zazou. He tends to make concept albums with a dazzling array of guest vocalists and musicians, and he's a bit like a French version of Peter Gabriel, crossed with Enya, but with more of an edge. 'Cold Seas' uses a mixture of electronics and ethnic music to illustrate a journey around the arctic waters of the northernmost Atlantic. It's all about atmosphere - in this case, stark and cold, with a vivid impression of a boat gliding through ice floes. It reminds me in places of Philip Glass' 'Glassworks', a similarly icebound venture.This was quite popular in the UK at the time, mostly because of Bjork's presence as a guest vocalist - as with the majority of the album, her song is not sung in English, which just adds to the impression that we are not in Kansas. The Suzanne Vega / John Cale contribution bobs along, with Cale deadpanning his section of the vocals, and it's nice to see Siouxsie Sioux getting out and about.The packaging fits, too - it has lots of stuff about the individual artists (which is useful for broadening your horizons), and the text on the back cover is silvery and only visible when held up to the light - which is nice."

Great Release from a True Original

wtraveller | Monterey, CA, USA | 08/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Atmospheric, varied, and well constructed pieces featuring vocals from leading performers. A great companion to another release: Sahara Blue."